Page:Reflections upon ancient and modern learning (IA b3032449x).pdf/388

 ready at Florence the Academy del Cimento, whose Members employed themselves in pursuing the same Methods. In Germany, an Academy of the same Nature has been raised. Even Ireland has had its Philosophical Society. From all which, such Swarms of Great Men in every Part of Natural and Mathematical Knowledge have within these few Years appeared, that it may, perhaps, without Vanity, be believed, that if this Humour lasts much longer, and learned Men do not divert their Thoughts to Speculations of another Kind, the next Age will not find very much Work of this Kind to do: For this sort of Learning has spread where-ever Letters have had any Encouragement in Europe so successfully, that even the Northern Kingdoms have had their Bartholin's, their Borrichius's, their Rudbeck's, their Wormius's, and their Hevelius's, who have put in for that Prize which the Inhabitants of warmer Climates seemed already in possession of. This has occasioned the Writing of Abundance of Books, to vindicate the Glory of every great Invention to some eminent Man of that Country that the Authors of those